Thursday, July 7, 2016

Judd Falls Hike

Gunnison KOAGunnison, COJuly 6 & 7, 2016Yesterday, Joe and I joined Ronnie, Carol and Shannon on a Scenic River Tour. This was my first time rafting and what an awesome time I had. Our tour was a Class II, 3 hour water trip down the Gunnison River.

The five of us plus Ariel, our energetic and informative guide, navigated easy rapids and clear channels with some maneuvering. Cameras were not allowed which is a good thing as I don't think I could have managed a paddle and a camera. Plus I was really wet. Today we (all 5 of us) were up and out by 9:00 to meet friends from Moab...Scott, Chris and their pup Zuni...for a hike to Judd Falls.

The trail head is about 8.5 miles north of Crested Butte on Gothic Road just beyond Gothic.

Swallow's Nest...1880

Since 1928, scientists from all over converge on Gothic during the months of June - August to study plants, wildlife, weather, and wetlands.

There is a Visitor Center and a small stand that sells coffees, lattes etc.

Youth programs, talk series and tours are offered as well as opportunities to volunteer.

Judd Falls Trail is an easy/moderate 1 or 2 mile round trip, in-out hike (depending on which parking lot you choose) that traverses through a wide dirt road through an aspen forest then changes to a narrow and rocky path surrounded by wildflowers and views of Gothic Mountain.

Scott, Shannon, Chris, Zuni and Joe

Monument plants filled the forest. They are a unique plant in that they live for many years, but produce flowers, fruits and seeds only once then die. Some years the forest is full of blooms and other years you might have a hard time finding any.

Carol and I noticed that two blooms looked a lot alike, but the leaves were quite different. After a bit of research, I learned that this one is a tall herb...Cow Parsnip. It has leaves made of 3 leaflets that grow up to 16 inches across. The entire plant can be as tall as 7 feet.

The other plant is Osha, also a herb. It has fern shaped leaves.

Beautiful views of Gothic Mountain

Sulphur Buckwheat has bright yellow flowers which age to blazing orange or red. These are only a few inches tall.

And then, Judd Falls...pictures just don't show how magnificent it is.

It was another great day. And oh my, the weather is fantastic ! Until next time, happy days...

About Us

Joe and I love the RV life and the freedom it gives us to call any place we choose to park home. Having our canine dependents with us makes it a total package. July of 2018 marked the completion of our seventh year as full-timers. We have seen a lot of this continent and met many wonderful people. There are so many more places we want to visit before the wanderlust diminishes. At the same time we are sincerely thankful for each day God has given us and hopeful we will have many more before settling down.